Method and apparatus for manufacturing rhinestone mesh

ABSTRACT

The device of the present invention utilizes a basic scoop designed to hold a plurality of rhinestone settings with the prongs in vertical position ready to receive the stones. The scoop is provided with a rectangular bank of prepared openings into which the rhinestone settings will fall right side up automatically when the scoop is passed through a reservoir of settings. The scoop and rhinestones are now positioned on a base member having a vertically movable frame. A gauze mesh is now positioned across the top of the frame and vertically lowered so that the vertical prongs on the rhinestone settings will pass through the mesh at the corner intersections. A second scoop is now passed through the reservoir of rhinestones and picks up a bank of rhinestones equivalent to the number of settings on the previous scoop. These are held in the upper part of the machine by suction in accordance with the conventional type of rhinestone-setting machines. The machine then lowers the rhinestones into the prongs and clinches the prongs over the rhinestone in a conventional manner. The mesh is imprisoned between the prongs and the rhinestone effectively locking the rhinestone, the setting, and the mesh together.

[ Jan. 18, 1972 llnited States Patent ortick T C m A n U E R m T SS UE m H R m AI R U T Q DA 0F mm EA MM M U MESH [72] Inventor:

The device of the present invention utilizes a basic scoop designed to hold a plurality of rhinestone settings with the Morris Kortick, Cranston, RI.

prongs in vertical position ready to receive the stones. The scoop is provided with a rectangular bank of openings into which th up automatically wh of settings. The scoo prepared Assignee: Jewel Mfg. Co., Providence, RI.

May 21, 1970 Appl. No.: 39,253

e rhinestone settings will fall right side en the scoop is passed throu gh a reservoir [22] Filed:

p and rhinestones are now positioned on a ng a vertically movable frame. A gauze base member havi [52] U.S.Cl............ [Sl] Int.Cl..............

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rhinestones and picks up a bank of rhinestones equivalent to the number of settings on the previous scoop. These are held References Cited hed ed .nhnmmn wr md w s mam m m ene a.mmmm n mmpo m 0a COC c e mmma e g mm mm n nen .ofllnefl US Oee aw flw u n tnm w0m.m mr a h e 6 rd m em .l h g m mm afer P v mm 8 0.1 h -r. S nt f s o wn m.w a e n r. C am o.m% Wnm em e m m P e mmmam eCh ne t nm e3 .mmmcmr 0000 1111 9999 2222 T m m m m A n u P m nm S m a U" E r T m m i m w s wa S ura D MRKK E T .l. 7 87 N 2453 U Q QQQ HHHH 0 2 Ill 0277 4793 ,5 9080 4657 222 the mesh together.

Primary Examiner-Frank T. Yost Attorney-Max Schwartz 17 Claims, 13 Drawing Figures PATENTED JMH 8 B72 SHEET 1 UF 3 FIG.2

INVENTOR.

KORT ICK MORRIS BY I ATTOR EY PATENTEDJAHIBWZ I 3 634 917 SHEET 3 BF 3 FIG.II

INVENTOR.

MORRIS KORTICK ATTOR Y METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING RHINESTONE MESH My present invention relates to the rhinestone setting art and more particularly to a method and apparatus for manufacturing rhinestone mesh.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a method and means for the manufacture of mesh cloth covered with rhinestones.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a method and means for the manufacture of a rhinestonecovered mesh cloth having a plurality of colors in a predetermined pattern.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and means for manufacturing a mesh cloth on a continuing basis in unlimited lengths.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a method and means for the manufacture of a mesh cloth which attaches a large amount of rhinestones to the mesh cloth in a single operation thus reducing the time and labor in the manufacture of the mesh.

Another object of the present invention is to provide for the method and apparatus for the manufacture of a mesh cloth which is simple in construction and easy and economical to manufacture and assemble.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, my invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts and a novel method of assembly, more fully disclosed in the detailed description following, in conjunction with the aecompanying drawings, and more particularly defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the basic mesh cloth with a plurality of rhinestone settings inserted therein.

FIG. 3 is a transverse section through the scoop for holding the settings showing the assembly of the mesh.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing the final assembly of the rhinestone, the setting, and the mesh.

FIG. 5 is a transverse section, diagrammatically illustrating the retention and insertion of the rhinestones.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of the scoop for holding the setting.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of the knockout pin holder for multiple color assembly.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of the scoop for holding the rhinestones.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary plan view showing the superimposed rhinestone holder of FIG. 8 over the setting knockout member in FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary section showing the position of the pins in the device as shown in FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary side elevation of the assembly base member for holding the settings and the mesh, with the mesh in raised position.

FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. II with the mesh in lowered position over the settings.

FIG. 13 is a plan view of the device as shown in FIG. 12.

Evening bags and other similar highly ornamented devices are often manufactured from rhinestone mesh. This is a loose mesh cloth having closely packed rows of rhinestones locked to the cloth. The locking is simple. The rhinestone setting has a plurality, usually four, of vertically extending prongs. These are placed beneath the cloth with the prongs extending through the mesh. The rhinestones are then attached from above and when the prongs are bent over the rhinestone to lock the rhinestone to the setting, it will also hold the threads of the mesh. The three parts are thus locked together by the assembly operation. In most instances the operation is laboriously done by hand one rhinestone at a time. Some attempts have been made to use assembly machines but these have not been successful. The present invention is designed to utilize the type of rhinestone-setting device shown in US. Pat. No.

2,858,597, issued Nov. 4, 1958, to Kraemer and entitled METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING ORNAMENTAL ARTICLES. This device utilizes a suction for holding the rhinestones in vertical position. The suction head holds a row of rhinestones which can be clinched vertically into a rhinestone chain of settings. The basic principle of such an apparatus is now conventional and well known. Furthermore, the present invention also provides for the use of two colors in a single mesh in a predetermined pattern. The addition of the colors in the predetermined pattern is accomplished outside of the apparatus so that no alterations in the basic assembly apparatus need be made.

Referring more in detail to the drawings illustrating my invention, FIGS. 1 and 5 illustrate the basic apparatus in which the vacuum suction portion 15 is designed to hold a plurality. six shown, of rows of rhinestones at 16, so that the apparatus inserts six elongated rows of rhinestones in a single motion. The apparatus 15 is provided with a slidable operating bed 17 and a plurality of elongated reservoirs l8, l9 and 20 mounted in the front thereof. FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 illustrate the construction provided by the apparatus of the present invention. A coarse mesh cloth 21 may be provided in any desired material including nylon. A scoop 22 is designed to hold six elongated rows of settings 23 in openings 24. As can be seen in FIG. 2, each setting has a downwardly tapering body portion 25 of generally square construction and at each corner a prong 26 extends upwardly. The settings 23 are held in the scoop 22 and the mesh 21 is brought down on to the scoop so that the prongs 26 extend upwardly at each mesh intersection as shown in FIG. 2. A rhinestone 27 is positioned in six rows at 16 as shown in FIG. 5 and, in a conventional operation, is brought vertically downwardly into the setting as illustrated to the right in FIG. 3 and the prongs 26 are bent inwardly to clinch the rhinestones in position. This locks the setting rhinestone and mesh together. The finished operation can be shown in the enlarged view in FIG. 4. The mesh 21 in this figure is shown with the strands passing between the setting 23 and rhinestone 27. The prongs 26 are clinched over the bevelled portion of the rhinestone to lock the parts together. In effect, the rhinestones are locked to the cloth at each mesh opening to provide a continuous rhinestone mesh surface. In the illustrated form the machine assembles six continuous elongated rows of rhinestones. By moving the mesh forwardly into the machine six rows at a time an elongated cloth of finished mesh rhinestones can be rapidly assembled.

The apparatus for accomplishing the above is fairly simple. As can be seen in FIG. 6, the scoop 22 comprises an elongated rectangular body 28 having a narrower end portion 29 for handling and mounting and the six rows of openings 24 of square design adapted to hold the settings 23. It has been found desirable that the reservoir 20 at the extreme front edge of the machine as shown in FIG. 1 contain the settings 23. The scoop 22 is grasped at its ends 29 and passed through the plurality of settings 23 with the excess falling and being shaken off. The scoop is now placed on a pair of spaces supports 30 and inspected to make sure there is a setting properly positioned in each opening 24. Since each opening 24 has a square design, and each setting 23 is also square, each setting will be properly aligned and oriented in the scoop 22 so that a prong 26 extends upwardly from each comer.

Now referring to FIGS. 1, ll, 12 and 13, the base 17 is mounted on a sliding frame 31 for sliding forwardly from beneath the vacuum system 16. The frame or base 17 is provided with a rectangular frame 32 which is mounted on a vertical cylinder 33 at each end. The cylinder 33 is provided with a bevelled surface 34 which permits it to be lifted by the horizontal bar 35 which is operated by the manually graspable lever 36 pivoted to the base at 37. FIG. 11 shows the frame 32 in raised position. On three sides, the front and sides, the frame 32 is provided with a plurality of upstanding pins 38. The gauze mesh 21 is stretched across the frame with the pins 38 entering the interstices in the mesh. After the scoop 22 has been filled with the settings 23, as hereinabove described, the

lever 36 is operated to raise the frame 32 into the position shown in FIG. 11. The filled scoop 22 is now positioned beneath the raised frame 32 on the base as shown in FIG. 11. The lever is now moved in the opposite direction and the frame 32 now moves downwardly into the position shown in FIG. 11. The lever is now moved in the opposite direction and the frame 32 now moves downwardly into the position shown in FIG. 12 with the mesh extending over the prongs of the settings as shown in FIG. 3. It should be noted that since each setting is properly oriented with a prong 26 extending vertically at each corner, the mesh 21 is also properly oriented on the pins 38. Now. when the frame 32 is lowered. the prongs 26 will enter the mesh 21 at each corner at the outside of the intersections of the filaments or threads, as shown in FIG. 2.

At this point the operator grasps the scoop 39 shown in FIG. 8. This scoop is also an elongated rectangular scoop having outer handles 40 and six rows of openings 41 designed to hold the rhinestones 27. The scoop 39 is passed through the reservoir 18 which is designed to hold the rhinestones 27. After being loaded, the scoop 39 can be positioned on the horizontal spaced holders 42 for examination to make sure that every opening is filled with the rhinestone properly spaced. The scoop 39, filled with the rhinestones, is then placed beneath the head in the conventional manner and moved upwardly so that the suction elements at 16 lift the rhinestones from the scoop and hold the rhinestones in position. The base 17 is then pushed away from the operator and beneath the head 15. The machine is then cycled and the head 15 comes downwardly forcing the rhinestones into the settings as shown in FIG. 3 and clinching the prongs 26 over the bevelled portion of each rhinestone as shown in FIG. 4. The operator now moves the base 17 back into the position shown in FIG. 1, raises the frame 32 and removes the now-empty scoop 22 to repeat the entire operation. However, the mesh cloth, now having six rows of rhinestones attached thereto is lifted from the prongs 38 and moved forwardly away from the operator six spaces so that the empty rows of mesh are now positioned over the frame ready for the next assembly operation.

The above-described assembly operation will produce a rhinestone mesh cloth easily and rapidly and with a minimum of manual attention. Each stroke of the machine will produce six elongated rows of mesh. It is obvious that the number of rows can be reduced or raised as desired. However, applicant has found that six rows are the optimum handling amount. The finished mesh is, of course, in a single color and without any pattern, the assembly being in banks or blocks of elongated settings and rhinestones. The finished cloth can of course be cut between the rows of rhinestones and will not unravel.

Applicant has found that a predetermined pattern and a plurality of colors can be readily formed in the finished mesh cloth with the above operation. As shown i FIG. 1, a third trough or reservoir 19 has been inserted between the base color 18 and the setting 20. This trough or reservoir 19 holds a second color. I now provide an elongated rectangular member 43 having a locating pin 44 adjacent each end. The member 43 is provided with six rows of vertical openings 45 into which elongated pins 46 can be frictionally inserted. The pins 46 are designed to readily pass through the openings 47 in the scoop 39 which holds the rhinestones. The member 43 is position reservoir 18 as shown in FIG. 1. The scoop 39 is operated in the usual manner and is filled with the rhinestones from the reservoir 18. The scoop 39 is now positioned on the holders 42 to make sure that each opening is properly filled and the rhinestones are properly positioned.

The scoop 39 is now placed over the member 43 so that its cutout portion 48 is aligned with the pin 44. In this position the openings in the scoop 39 will be directly above the pins 36 in the member 43. However, the pins 46 are not positioned in every opening 45 but only in a selected portion of the openings as shown in FIG. 7. In the pattern shown in FIG. 7 the pins are positioned in groups of nine, three in each direction with nine blank spaces between each group of nine. As the scoop 39 is placed over the member 43 the pins 46 will enter the openings 47 and knock the rhinestones 27 from selected openings. These rhinestones will fall back into the reservoir 18. Now when the scoop 39 is again lifted from the member 43 it will have blank openings without rhinestones in a selected pattern coinciding to the position ofthe pins 46.

The scoop 39 is now passed through the second reservoir 18 with the second color. The rhinestones in this reservoir cannot enter the openings already filled with rhinestones from reservoir 18 but can enter the blank openings which were knocked out by the pins 46, Thus when the scoop 39 is positioned on the vertical holders 49 in the reservoir 19, it should have two colored rhinestones in a selected pattern. When these rhinestones are now positioned into the head 16 of the machine as shown in FIG. 5, and the machine assembles them on to the mesh, the pattern in two colors will appear on the mesh. In this manner three or more colors can also be provided. The apparatus will thus provide, without modifying, the basic assembly structure with a plurality of colors in a selected pattern.

The method ofoperation in changing the colors is fairly sim ple, the scoop 39 is first filled completely with one color and then a selected pattern or portion of this one color is knocked off the scoop to permit the second color to be inserted instead. As far as the assembly machine is concerned it will merely pick up the entire six rows regardless of color and insert them into their settings on the mesh.

The apparatus and method of assembly is fairly simple and inexpensive to build and to operate. The finished mesh is therefore much quicker and easier to manufacture than a laborious hand operation and the resultant mesh cloth is therefore comparatively inexpensive to manufacture, Other advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art.

Iclaim:

1. In a stone-setting machine having a vertically reciprocable head adapted to hold a plurality of rhinestones by suction and having a base for mounting the settings for the rhinestones, means for making rhinestone mesh comprising a trough for holding a plurality of settings having vertically extending tabs, an elongated scoop having a plurality of recesses for holding said settings, said scoop being manually mounted on the base, means on the base for holding an open mesh fabric above said settings, a second trough for holding a plurality of rhinestones, and an elongated scoop having a plurality ofopenings for holding said rhinestones, said rhinestone scoop transferring said rhinestones to the suction head. whereby downward movement of the head will set said rhinestones in said settings through said fabric to lock said rhinestones to said fabric to form a mesh fabric.

2. A machine as in claim I, wherein said tabs extend from said settings through said mesh fabric, said tabs being bent over said rhinestones when the head is moved down over the base.

3. A machine as in claim 1, wherein said fabric-holding means comprises a frame mounted on the base, said frame having a plurality of vertical pins for holding said fabric, said frame being vertically movable to move said fabric over said settings.

4. A machine as in claim 3, wherein said frame is mounted on vertically movable cylinders, and a manually operable lever for raising and lowering said cylinders.

5. A machine as in claim 1, wherein a third trough is provided for holding a plurality of rhinestones in a different color from said rhinestones in said second trough, said rhinestone scoop picking up rhinestones in said second trough, said rhinestone scoop picking up rhinestones from said second and third troughs to provide a multicolored mesh.

6. A machine as in claim 5, wherein an elongated plate is provided with a plurality of pins in a predetermined pattern, whereby said rhinestone scoop may be placed over said pins to displace said first color rhinestones to make room for said second color rhinestones on said scoop in a predeten-nined pattern.

7. A machine as in claim 2, wherein said fabric-holding means comprises a frame mounted on the base, said frame having a plurality of vertical pins for holding said fabric, said frame being vertically movable to move said fabric over said settings.

8. A machine as in claim 7, wherein said setting scoop is provided with square openings, said settings being square to nest in said openings, said settings each having a tab at each comer, said frame pins retaining said fabric in alignment with said tabs, whereby each tab will pass through said mesh on the outer side of a square of fabric when said frame lowers said fabric over said settings.

9. A machine as in claim 7, wherein said frame is mounted on vertically movable cylinders, and a manually operable lever for raising and lowering said cylinders.

10. A machine as in claim 9, wherein a third trough is provided for holding a plurality of rhinestones in a different color from said rhinestones in said second trough, said rhinestone scoop picking up rhinestones from said second and third trough to provide a multicolored mesh.

II. A machine as in claim 10, wherein an elongated plate is provided with a plurality of pins in a predetermined pattern, whereby said rhinestone scoop may be placed over said pins to displace said first color rhinestones to make room for said second color rhinestones on said scoop in a predetermined pattern.

12. The method of making rhinestone mesh fabric comprising the steps of retaining a plurality of rhinestone settings having vertical tabs, positioning an open mesh fabric over said settings with the tabs extending through said mesh, placing rhinestones into said settings through said fabric, and bending said tabs over to lock said rhinestones to said fabric.

13. The method as in claim 12, wherein said settings are square shaped and retained in alignment with said mesh fabric to pass said tabs through said mesh at each comer of a mesh opening.

14. The method as in claim 13, wherein a scoop with a plurality of openings is used to retain said rhinestones.

15. The method as in claim 13, wherein said rhinestones are provided in more than one color.

16. The method as in claim 14, wherein said rhinestones are provided in more than one color.

17. The method as in claim 16, wherein the first color of rhinestones is removed from said scoop in a predetermined pattern and a second color inserted on said scoop in the same predetermined pattern. 

1. In a stone-setting machine having a vertically reciprocable head adapted to hold a plurality of rhinestones by suction and having a base for mounting the settings for the rhinestones, means for making rhinestone mesh comprising a trough for holding a plurality of settings having vertically extending tabs, an elongated scoop having a plurality of recesses for holding said settings, said scoop being manually mounted on the base, means on the base for holding an open mesh fabric above said settings, a second trough for holding a plurality of rhinestones, and an elongated scoop having a plurality of openings for holding said rhinestones, said rhinestone scoop transferring said rhinestones to the suction head, whereby downward movement of the head will set said rhinestones in said settings through said fabric to lock said rhinestones to said fabric to form a mesh fabric.
 2. A machine as in claim 1, wherein said tabs extend from said settings through said mesh fabric, said tabs being bent over said rhinestones when the head is moved down over the base.
 3. A machine as in claim 1, wherein said fabric-holding means comprises a frame mounted on the base, said frame having a plurality of vertical pins for holding said fabric, said frame being vertically movable to move said fabric over said settings.
 4. A machine as in claim 3, wherein said frame is mounted on vertically movable cylinders, and a manually operable lever for raising and lowering said cylinders.
 5. A machine as in claim 1, wherein a third trough is provided for holding a plurality of rhinestones in a different color from said rhinestones in said second trough, said rhinestone scoop picking up rhinestones in said second trough, said rhinestone scoop picking up rhinestones from said second and third troughs to provide a multicolored mesh.
 6. A machine as in claim 5, wherein an elongated plate is provided with a plurality of pins in a predetermined pattern, whereby said rhinestone scoop may be placed over said pins to displace said first color rhinestones to make room for said second color rhinestones on said scoop in a predetermined pattern.
 7. A machine as in claim 2, wherein said fabric-holding means comprises a frame mounted on the base, said frame having a plurality of vertical pins for holding said fabric, said frame being vertically movable to move said fabric over said settings.
 8. A machine as in claim 7, wherein said setting scoop is provided with square openings, said settings being square to nest in said openings, said settings each having a tab at each corner, said frame pins retaining said fabric in alignment with said tabs, whereby each tab will pass through said mesh on the outer side of a square of fabric when said frame lowers said fabric over said settings.
 9. A machine as in claim 7, wherein said frame is mounted on vertically movable cylinders, and a manually operable lever for raising and lowering said cylinders.
 10. A machine as in claim 9, wherein a third trough is provided for holding a plurality of rhinestones in a different color from said rhinestones in said second trough, said rhinestone scoop picking up rhinestones from said second and third trough to provide a multicolored mesh.
 11. A machine as in claim 10, wherein an elongated plate is provided with a plurality of pins in a predetermined pattern, whereby said rhinestone scoop may be placed over said pins to displace said first color rhinestones to make room for said second color rhinestones on said scoop in a predetermined pattern.
 12. The method of making rhinestone mesh fabric comprising the steps of retaining a plurality of rhinestone settings having vertical tabs, positioning an open mesh fabric over said settings with the tabs extending through said mesh, placing rhinestones into said settings through said fabric, and bending said tabs over to lock said rhinestones to said fabric.
 13. The method as in claim 12, wherein said settings are square shaped and retained in alignment with said mesh fabric to pass said tabs through said mesh at each corner of a mesh opening.
 14. The method as in claim 13, wherein a scoop with a plurality of openings is used to retain said rhinestones.
 15. The method as in claim 13, wherein said rhinestones are provided in more than one color.
 16. The method as in claim 14, wherein said rhinestones are provided in more than one color.
 17. The method as in claim 16, wherein the first color of rhinestones is removed from said scoop in a predetermined pattern and a second color inserted on said scoop in the same predetermined pattern. 